Iran Visa - Guide Required for Iran UK, Candian and USA - Not Australians

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Currently gaining entry into Iran for British nationals for Overland travel is becoming difficult, people have been refused entry, or have had their visa permit denied on multiple occasions.

1st December 2011 the Iranian Consulate in London closed until further notice the only alternatives is to the Iranian consulate in Dublin or Iranian consulate in Frankfurt (or in another country if more convenient) to have your passport stamped.

May 2012 the Iranian consulate in Dublin and Frankfurt ceased to accept visa applications by post, therefore documents has to be delivered in person.

*Note if you use a visa agent, they can arrange for the visa authorisation code to be sent to any embassy worldwide.

Since March 2014 British passport holders require either to join a package tour or have a national guide for entire their trip in Iran in order to obtain visa. This rule also applies for Canadian and US passport holders. (*Note this does not apply to transit visas)

But not Australians (at the moment, see email below)!!

If you have recently travelled through Iran please share your experiences of obtaining a visa and whether you were required to have a guide here

Read more new in our Facebook Overlanding Group

Types of Visa (For Tourists / Transit)
  • Tourist visa: issued for up to 30 days and extendible. Must be obtained before coming to Iran and valid to enter for 90 days from the issue date.
  • Double Entry Visa: Same as Above
  • Tourist visa on arrival (VOA): issued for 15 days on arrival at any international airport.
  • Transit visa: issued for five to seven days. You must enter and exit via different countries, and have a visa or a ticket to an onward country. Not available to US passport holders. (differing reports as to whether an authorisation number is required or not)

Important
  • The Visa Authorisation Number is valid for three months from the date of issue.
  • The visa stamp is valid for entry to Iran for three months from the date of issue.
  • The maximum stay with an Iranian Visa is one month. A few days before your first visa expires, you can apply in person to the authorities in Iran main cities to extend your Visa for up to two more weeks

How do I get an Iranian visa?
Firstly you have to obtain a visa permit / Visa Authorization Number, which can only be issued by the Foreign Ministry (FM) in Iran. You cannot lodge an application with the Iranian FM directly, nor can you currently lodge an application through an Iranian Consulate. You therefore have two ways of obtaining an Iranian visa permit:
Email confirmations re Australians
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References
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Iranian Consulate UK
Iranian Consulate USA
Iranian Consulate Canada
Iranian Consulate Australia